Lonsdale Villa Retreat

We booked four nights for a party of four but left after three. The lodge is tired, dated and needs an upgrade, and the pictures don't accurately show what it's like. We also found out about many restrictions only after arriving. Those rules should be on the listing so people know before they book. The property is right next to houses, and noise from the neighbours carries over. We were given one towel for the whole stay. If you do book, take your own towels and bedding. It wasn't worth the money. There are plenty of nearby places with better accommodation and privacy that are dog-friendly and outside a residential area. I'll upload photos of the inside and outside soon.

The house has everything you might need, and the interior is lovely. It’s a great spot for a big group, with the Lake District only about twenty minutes away. A wonderful place for a holiday.

The gardens around Hermitage Lodge are gorgeous, and the hot tub and outdoor seating under the big tree were lovely. David kindly showed us around, suggested a restaurant in Penrith, and arranged kayaking on Ullswater, which our three kids absolutely loved. We stayed two nights and found the place comfortable, spotless, and thoughtfully equipped. It feels tucked away, yet shops and restaurants are an easy walk, and the driveway was no problem in our car. We can’t wait to come back and explore more of the Lakes with the children.

The cabin was dirty when we arrived, so I had to wipe down the surfaces. The windows were filthy, with bird droppings on them, the bathroom fan was very loud, the toilet seat was loose, plugs pulled the sockets out of the wall, and the decking was slippery. A few days after getting home, we were also billed £160 for cleaning bedding and towels because of paw prints, despite being told the place was dog friendly. We paid for four nights but left after three. The cabin sits in a dark corner of the garden beneath a tree, right beside a residential property's wall, with the neighboring house about 50 yards away. There are lots of rules in the house, including no music after 9 pm in the hot tub and no hot tub after 10 pm. They say devices monitor noise, which felt odd. There was also an Amazon device with a camera in the house, and that wasn't mentioned in the listing. If we'd known about the close neighbors and restrictions, we wouldn't have booked. The off-road track halfway up the hill is only suitable for a 4x4, and the property wasn't easy to find. This wasn't the private cabin with a hot tub and dogs that we expected. For £200 a night plus £150 for laundry, staying in a dark hut next to people's homes was a real disappointment. I hope this saves someone else money and spares them the letdown. I wouldn't want anyone else saving for a year and having their holiday spoiled like ours.